Energy saving device of heating apparatus

ABSTRACT

An energy saving device is mounted on a heating apparatus. The energy saving device includes a base, a cooling plate, an expandable member, and an upper lid. The base has a cooling trough. A hole and a first through hole are formed in an inner wall of the cooling trough. The expandable member has a trough facing and sealing the cooling plate. When the energy saving device is activated, the expandable member will shrink and suck the hot water in the heating apparatus to the trough and the cooling trough will be filled with cold water to cool the hot water in the trough by the cooling plate, preventing the expandable member from aging and chap and enhancing the capacity of the trough to store the hot water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an energy saving device of a heating apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional heating apparatus 10 comprises a heating container 11 which is connected with an inlet pipe 12 and an outlet pipe 13. The outlet pipe 13 is provided with a faucet 14. When the faucet 14 is opened, the cold water in the inlet pipe 12 will flow into the heating container 11 and be heated by the heating container 11, and the hot water will flow through the outlet pipe 13. When the faucet 14 is closed, the water in the heating container 11 has been heated to be hot water and will become steam accumulated at the faucet 14 due to the principle that warm air rises, which results in that the faucet 14 is easy to drop water.

Accordingly, a check valve 15 is concatenated to the inlet pipe 13, and an energy saving device 20 is provided between the check valve 15 and the heating container 11. The energy saving device 20 comprises an upper lid 21, a lower lid 22, an expandable member 23 disposed between the upper lid 21 and the lower lid 22, a first chamber 24 formed between the upper lid 21 and the expandable member 23, and a second chamber 25 formed between lower lid 22 and the expandable member 23. The first chamber 24 communicates with the inlet pipe 12. When the faucet 14 is opened, the water will flow through the inlet pipe 12 quickly and bring out the air in the first chamber 24, so that the expandable member 23 shrinks toward the lower lid 22. When the faucet 14 is closed, the water will be stopped to flow and the expandable member 23 will restore to its original shape. During the restoration of the expandable member 23, the expandable member 23 sucks some of the hot water in the heating container 11. The heating container 11 forms negative pressure to prevent the faucet 14 from leakage.

However, the expandable member 23 is made of resin, such as PU, and the expandable member 23 sucks the hot water during the restoration. After a long period of time, the expandable member 23 is aging and chaps easily. The energy saving device 20 will malfunction. Because the water which the expandable member 23 sucks is hot water, the amount of water that the expandable member 23 sucks is much less than the cold water. Thus, when the energy saving device 20 is applied to the heating apparatus 10 which has a big heating container 11, the energy saving device 20 cannot provide a better leakproof effect. Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has devoted himself based on his many years of practical experiences to solve this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide an energy saving device of a heating apparatus. The energy saving device is mounted on the heating apparatus. The heating apparatus comprises a heating container. The heating container is connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet unit. The energy saving device is connected to the inlet pipe. The energy saving device comprises a base, a cooling plate, an expandable member, and an upper lid. The base has a passage. The passage has a water inlet and a water outlet at two ends thereof. The base has a cooling trough. A hole and a first through hole are formed in an inner wall of the cooling trough. The hole and the first through hole communicate with the passage, respectively. The cooling plate seals the cooling trough of the base. The cooling plate has a second through hole which communicates with the first through hole of the base. The expandable member is made of a soft material. The expandable member has a trough facing and sealing the cooling plate. The upper lid has a balance trough facing and sealing the expandable member. The upper lid has an air hole which communicates with the balance trough. Thereby, when the outlet unit of the heating apparatus is opened, the cold water in the inlet pipe will flow through the passage of the base quickly. Some of the cold water flows into the cooling trough through the hole. The air in the trough of the expandable member is brought out to form a vacuum. The expandable member shrinks toward the cooling plate. When the outlet unit is closed, the expandable member will restore to its original shape and suck some of hot water in the heating container. The heating container forms negative pressure to prevent the outlet unit from leakage and to achieve an energy saving effect. The cold water in the cooling trough is adapted to cool the hot water in the trough by the cooling plate, preventing the expandable member from aging and chap and enhancing the service life of the expandable member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional heating apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when in use;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view to show the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the heating apparatus is opened;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view to show the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the heating apparatus is closed;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention when in use; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic view to show the operation of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an energy saving device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base 30, a cooling plate 40, an expandable member 50, and an upper lid 60.

The base 30 has a passage 31 which communicates two sides of the base 30. Two ends of the passage 31 are a water inlet 311 and a water outlet 312. The water inlet 311 and the water outlet 312 have a diameter larger than that of the passage 31. The base 30 has a neck 313 disposed between the passage 31 and the water inlet 311. The neck 313 has a diameter smaller than that of the passage 31. The base 30 has a cooling trough 32. A hole 33 and a first through hole 34 are formed in an inner wall of the cooling trough 32. The hole 33 and the first through hole 34 communicates with the passage 31, respectively. The base 30 further comprises a raised ring 35 around the first through hole 34. The base 20 has a positioning groove 36 around an outer edge of the cooling trough 32 and a first limit groove 37 around the positioning groove 36.

The cooling plate 40 is made of a metallic material. The cooling plate 40 has a positioning flange 41 corresponding to the positioning groove 36 of the base 30 to seal the cooling trough 32 of the base 30. The cooling plate 40 comprises a raised block 42 corresponding to the raised ring 35 of the base 30. The raised block 42 is tightly inserted in the raised ring 35. The raised block 42 has a second through hole 43 which communicates with the first through hole 34. The cooling plate 40 has a chamber 44 opposite to the base 30.

The expandable member 50 is made of a soft material, such as rubber, PU (Polyurethane). The expandable member 50 has a trough 51 facing the cooling plate 40. The expandable member. 50 comprises a first limit block 52 around the trough 51 and corresponding to the first limit groove 37 of the base 30, such that the expandable member 50 is coupled to the base 30 to seal the cooling plate 40 therebetween. The expandable member 50 comprises a second limit block 53 corresponding to the first limit block 52 and opposite to the cooling plate 40.

The upper lid 60 has a balance trough 61 facing the expandable member 50. The upper lid 60 has a second limit groove 62 around the balance trough 61 and corresponding to the second limit block 53 of the expandable member 50 to seal the side of the expandable member 50 opposite to the cooling plate 40. The upper lid 60 further has an air hole 63 which communicates with the balance trough 61.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when in use. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are schematic views to show the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The energy saving device 100 is mounted on a heating apparatus 200. The heating apparatus 200 comprises a heating container 201. Two end of the heating container 201 are connected with an inlet pipe 202 and an outlet pipe 203, respectively. The inlet pipe 202 is further connected to a water source. The outlet pipe 203 is further connected to an outlet unit 204. In this embodiment, the outlet unit 204 is a faucet and has an outlet valve 205 and an outlet 206. The water inlet 311 and the water outlet 312 of the energy saving device 100 are concatenated to the inlet pipe 202, so that the energy saving device 100 is connected to the inlet pipe 202. The water in the inlet pipe 202 flows through the passage 31. The energy saving device 100 further comprises a check valve 70 near the water inlet 311 to prevent the hot water in the heating container 201 from backflow.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the outlet valve 205 of the heating apparatus 200 is opened, the cold water in the inlet pipe 202 will flow through the passage 31 of the base 30 quickly. Some of the cold water will flow into the cooling trough 32 through the hole 33, and most of the cold water will flow through the passage 31. Because the diameter of the passage 31 is smaller than that of the water inlet 311, and the diameter of the neck 313 between the passage 31 and the water inlet 311 is smaller than that of the passage 31, the water when passes through the passage 31 will generate an accelerating effect to form negative pressure to bring out the air in the trough 51 of the expandable member 50 when passing over the first through hole 34. The trough 51 forms a vacuum and the expandable member 50 shrinks toward the cooling plate 40. In the meanwhile, external air enters the balance trough 61 through the air hole 63 of the upper lid 60 to balance the air pressure. As shown in FIG. 6, when the outlet valve 205 is closed, the water will be stopped to flow and the negative pressure will disappear and the expandable member 50 will restore to its original shape. During the restoration of the expandable member 50, the expandable member 50 sucks some of the hot water in the heating container 201. The heating container 201 forms negative pressure to prevent the outlet 206 of the outlet unit 204 from leakage and to prevent the heat energy in the heating container 201 from disappearing so as to achieve an energy saving effect. In addition, the cold water in the cooling trough 32 is to cool the hot water in the trough 51 by the cooling plate 40, preventing the expandable member 50 from aging and chap so as to enhance the service life of the expandable member 50. Because the principle to expand when hot and to shrink when cold, the expandable member 50 can suck more water when restoring to its original shape to increase the negative pressure in the heating container 201. The present invention of the energy saving device 100 can prevent leakage and save energy.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show another preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is substantially similar to the aforesaid embodiment with the exceptions described hereinafter. The base 30 further has a penetration hole 314 opposite to the cooling plate 40 and communicating with the neck 313. The penetrating hole 314 is connected with a first end of a pipe 38. A second end of the pipe 38 is connected to outside. In this embodiment, the second end of the pipe 38 is connected between the outlet unit 204 and the outlet pipe 203, so that external air can enter the pipe 38 through the outlet 206 of the outlet unit 204. The pipe 38 is further connected with a check valve 39. As shown in FIG. 8, when the outlet valve 205 of the outlet unit 204 is opened, the cold water in the inlet pipe 202 will flow through the passage 31 of the base 30 quickly and generate negative pressure when passing over the first through hole 34 to inhale the external air into the pipe 38 through the outlet 206 of the outlet unit 204 and then into the passage 31 so as to balance the pressure in the passage 31, accelerating the shrink of the expandable member 50.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An energy saving device of a heating apparatus, the energy saving device being mounted on the heating apparatus, the heating apparatus comprising a heating container, the heating container being connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet unit, the energy saving device being connected to the inlet pipe, the energy saving device comprising: a base, the base having a passage, the passage having a water inlet and a water outlet at two ends thereof, the base having a cooling trough, a hole and a first through hole formed in an inner wall of the cooling trough, the hole and the first through hole communicating with the passage, respectively; a cooling plate, the cooling plate sealing the cooling trough of the base, the cooling plate having a second through hole which communicates with the first through hole of the base; an expandable member made of a soft material, the expandable member having a trough facing and sealing the cooling plate; and an upper lid having a balance trough facing and sealing the expandable member, the upper lid having an air hole which communicates with the balance trough; thereby, when the outlet unit of the heating apparatus being opened, cold water in the inlet pipe flowing through the passage of the base quickly, some of the cold water flowing into the cooling trough through the hole, air in the trough of the expandable member being brought out to form a vacuum, the expandable member shrinking toward the cooling plate, when the outlet unit being closed, the expandable member restoring to its original shape and sucking some of hot water in the heating container, the heating container forming negative pressure to prevent the outlet unit from leakage and to achieve an energy saving, the cold water in the cooling trough being adapted to cool the hot water in the trough by the cooling plate, preventing the expandable member from aging and chap and enhancing the service life of the expandable member.
 2. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base comprises a raised ring around the first through hole and the cooling plate comprises a raised block corresponding to the raised ring of the base, the raised block being inserted in the raised ring, the raised block having the second through hole.
 3. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water inlet and the water outlet have a diameter larger than a diameter of the passage.
 4. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a neck disposed between the passage and the water inlet, the neck having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the passage.
 5. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base has a penetration hole which communicates with the neck, the penetrating hole being connected with one end of a pipe, another end of the pipe being connected to outside.
 6. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pipe is connected with a check valve.
 7. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a positioning groove around an outer edge of the cooling trough and the cooling plate has a positioning flange corresponding to the positioning groove of the base to seal the cooling trough of the base.
 8. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a first limit groove around an outer edge of the cooling trough and the expandable member comprises a first limit block around the trough and corresponding to the first limit groove of the base to seal the cooling trough of the base.
 9. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expandable member comprises a second limit block corresponding to the first limit block and opposite to the cooling plate and the upper lid has a second limit groove around the balance trough and corresponding to the second limit block of the expandable member to seal one side of the expandable member opposite to the cooling plate.
 10. The energy saving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy saving device comprises a check valve near the water inlet of the base. 